aries of her generosity, smiled when they
saw her and touched their forelocks in friendly salutation.

On the mountain there was one spot of which she was especially fond. It
was a little gully-like depression more than halfway up that seemed to
be much greener than the rest of the mountain side, and always moist.
The trees were taller and more heavily leafed And threw a shade which,
with the coolness of the moist little nook, was most pleasant. It lay
not far from the rutted, rough and busy trail over the mountain, which
turned and passed below it, the _atejos_ and occasional picturesque
_caballeros_ on their caparisoned horses, passing in review before her
and close enough to be distinctly seen, yet far enough away to hide
disillusioning details. The mud houses of the town at the foot of the
long slope, with their flat roofs, looked much better at this distance
and awakened trains of thought which nearness would have forbidden. It
was also an ideal place to eat a lunch and she and Uncle Joe or her
father made it their turning point.

Her daily rides had given her confidence, and the stares which first had
followed her soon changed to glances of idle curiosity. Of Armijo she
neither had seen nor heard anything more and scarcely gave him a
thought, and the Mexican officers she met saluted politely or ignored
her altogether. Her uncle still harped about Santa Fe being no place for
her, but, having the assurance that she would return to St. Louis with
the caravan, was too wise to press the matter. His efforts were more
strongly bent to get his brother to sell out and he had sounded Woodson
to see if that trader would take over the merchandise. Adam Cooper
seemed to consider closing out his business and returning to Missouri,
but he would not sacrifice it, and there the matter hung, swaying first
to one side and then to the other. By this time Santa Fe had palled on
the American merchant and he had laid by sufficient capital to start in
business in St. Louis or one of the frontier towns, and his brother was
confident that if the stock could be disposed of for a reasonable sum
that Adam would join the returning caravan.

It was in the storehouse of Webb and Birdsall one night, about a week
before the wagons were being put in shape for the return trip that the
matter was settled. Disturbing rumors were floating up from the south
about a possible closing of the ports of entry of the Department of New
Mexico, due to the dang